2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates Announced

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2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates Announced

AJ Dillon named to preseason list of candidates for the nation’s top running back award

DALLAS – The PwC SMU Athletic Forum released today the preseason candidates for the 2018 Doak Walker Award. The Forum annually presents the award to the nation’s top college running back.

Boston College sophomore running back AJ Dillon was named to the list of preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award. A Preseason All-American in several different publications, Dillon is coming off a Freshman All-America campaign in 2017 after rushing for 1,589 yards en route to ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

Dillon looks to become the second Boston College player and second player in the Steve Addazio era at BC to win the Doak Walker Award. Andre Williams won the award in 2013 after rushing for 2,177 yards.

Dillon finished last season with 1,589 rushing yards, seventh nationally and second among all freshmen nationally. A FWAA Freshman All-American, he was the first Eagle to be named to the FWAA team since Luke Kuechly in 2009. Dillon’s 1,589 rushing yards were the most by any freshman in BC history and second in ACC history. He rushed for 1,256 rushing yards over the last seven games, the most of any player in the country.

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced on November 20. The committee will cast a second vote beginning November 26 to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members, and selected special representatives.

The recipient of the 2018 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 6 on ESPN.

The award, which will name its 29th recipient in 2018, is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.